Triest Talk

Since we're independent insurance agents, we don't have to rely on selling policies for just one insurance company. Premiums for Charleston home insurance can vary tremendously from one company to the next for the same exact house. By using an independent insurance agency like Triest Agency you can rest assured that we will shop aggressively to find the lowest premium. After almost 30 years of experience owning my family's insurance agency and working with thousands of clients, I've come up with a list of the 11best ways to lower your Charleston home insurance premium. These are not in any particular order.

1. Shop around for the lowest premium from more than one insurance company. Does this mean you have to use more than one insurance agency to accomplish this? No. An independent agency like Triest Agency can do the shopping for you since we can provide quotes for several insurance companies. Will we quote every company? No. We won't waste your time or ours for companies that we know aren't competitive for your home. But by being experts we can match your house with a few insurance companies that we know have the lowest premiums.

2. Deductibles. Some people don't understand the value of raising your home insurance deductible. First of all the deductible is a way for the insurance company to pass off some of the loss to you as the homeowner. Why is that? Because the insurance company wants the homeowner to have a vested interest in the claim. It is also foolish to make small claims for home insurance since it will only increase your premium. Increasing the deductible will not only lower the premium but also help to shield you from increases due to what insurance companies call claims frequency. This is something insurance companies monitor and will in the end cost you money.

3. Insure your home for the replacement cost and not the market value. Your home's market value is what you could sell it for today. The market value includes the land value. It's not necessary to insure the land. You only want to insure the house for what it cost to replace. In most cases the cost to replace will be lower than the market value and this will save you money. I do have to say that some policies only provide coverage at the actual cash value of the home. Actual cash value is the replacement cost less depreciation. If possible buy a policy that provides for replacement cost.

4. Buy your home and auto insurance from the same agency. Most insurance companies provide a discount if you buy your home and auto coverage from that same company. Independent agencies like Triest Agency can also get a discount for our clients by placing with two different insurance companies as long as the home and auto insurance are written by Triest Agency.

5. Home security systems will lower your premium. We always recommend clients have a central station home burglary and fire system. Not only will it provide a deterrence from burglaries and quick notification to the fire department if there is a fire, it will also provide a discount on your home insurance.

6. Good credit will lower your premium. The insurance industry has found that people with better credit have a lower chance of filing home insurance claims. Having a good credit history will almost always lower your premium.

7. Buy your home in a community with a good fire department. Fire Departments earn grades from the insurance services office (ISO). If you buy a home in a community like Charleston with a stellar fire department, your insurance premium will be lower than if the same home was located in a community that lets say has a volunteer fire department.

8. Ask us for discounts. As agents, we try to find the most discounts that we can for you. Some companies even offer a discount for a home where everyone is a non-smoker.

9. Buy a new home. Insurance companies give a discount to new homes. Their logic is that a new home has less chance of having a claim since it is built to current building codes.

10. Don't get a vicious dog breed. Dog bite claims against homeowners have skyrocketed. If you have a dog breed that is considered vicious you'll pay extra.

11. One last one! A brick home is less expensive to insure than a wood frame home. Why? The chance of a major fire loss is lower with brick since it doesn't burn.

Ask Triest Agency to quote your home insurance if we don't already provide it for you. Your agent is on your side and not the enemy. Your agent is only trying to save you as much as possible so give him all of the information they request. Our agents are not employees of a particular insurance company so you can work with us as your advocate to find the best home insurance policy for your situation.

The smart consumer reads their insurance policy and has a knowledgeable insurance agency like Triest Agency. Call me today. I would love to help with your insurance. 843-556-6232 or email me at larry@triestagency.com